Peru, a nation in South America, has aimed to position itself as a halal food products exporter after obtaining Malaysia’s halal certification this year.
Peru’s Vice Foreign Trade Minister, Teresa Stella Mera Gomez mentioned that the trade team is now in talks with the Halal Development Corporation Bhd (HDC) and the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), and an upcoming memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected to be sealed very soon.
According to Gomez, the halal ecosystem is needed as Peru aims to boost its agriculture industry while at the same time reduce dependency on the mining sector. “In 2000, Peru’s exports to Malaysia were worth US$22 million, mainly contributed by the mining sector (79%) and a mere 0.5% from the agriculture. In 2023, our exports to Malaysia jumped to US$245 million with 69% from mining and 29% from agriculture.”
Peru is known for its high quality agricultural produces and cocoa bean is a main export product to Malaysia. Gomez added that recently the country has gained market access for avocado and pomegranate. There is also high demand potential for its quinoa, branded a superfood, in Malaysia.
The Malaysian government has given its commitment to facilitate the halal certification of Peruvian food products, as its certification is recognised globally. At the same time, Malaysian businesses can also use Peru as a hub to export and explore opportunities in other Latin American countries, said Gomez.
Malaysia is Peru’s 11th largest trading partner in Asia and 25th largest in the world, with bilateral trade worth US$455.9 million recorded in 2023.
